


The Nerd Guy

by olivemartini



Category: Stitchers (TV)
Genre: Angst, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hurt, camsten, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-14
Updated: 2015-06-14
Packaged: 2018-04-04 10:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4133529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olivemartini/pseuds/olivemartini
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Kirsten.  Nerd Guy."<br/>"It's Cameron."<br/>Just what I think their reactions would be to the detective saying Nerd Guy as a greeting when he sees Cameron and Kirsten realizing he's bothered by it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Nerd Guy

Nerd Guy.  
Nerd Guy.  
Nerd Guy.  
Rationally, Cameron knew he shouldn't be too upset by this. He can quote Lord of the Rings and went to comecon. He programs computers in his sleep. He and Linus created stitching just because a professor told them it wasn't possible. Was there any other word to describe him besides nerd?  
And yet, he didn't like it. He didn't like the uncomfortable feeling that came with it, like he was back in high school, terrified of being shoved into lockers and having his homework stolen by the football players. He doesn't like the stares and snickers and little smiles people try to hide whenever the detective says it. He absolutely hates the way he feels his face heat up, and despite being able to understand quantum physics, he couldn't formulate a response to that. He didn't like feeling like the scrawny kid again, cowering in the locker room at the threat of a football players fist in his face. If he was being honest, he hated it the most because it lets Kirsten see that kid that he used to be. (sometimes, if he feels like being brutally honest, he'll admit that he never stopped being that kid.)  
Kirsten never laughed at him, just seemed vaguely confused when Cameron wouldn't look at her when they talked to the detective. She never added her own taunts, just stared at everyone until they decided it was no longer funny. She seemed more than capable of carrying on the not so playful banter when all he could offer up was a, "it's Cameron, actually." And he hated that.  
Because what if one day she wakes up and realizes that's all he is? That nerd guy who's supposed to be sitting behind a computer all day, not going out on undercover missions with her. That scrawny boy who isn't tough at all, and probably it would be better to hang around Mr. tough guy so he could protect her instead of the other way around. Because it was fine, this agreement, when he was the only option she had. But now there was a better choice.  
(but dear God, he thought, don't let them start dating. I'll quit.)

 

"Later, Kirsten. Nerd guy."  
The door slammed shut behind the detective, leaving them alone in the lab. The only light came from the computer monitors, and Cameron was acutely aware of Kirsten standing in the middle of the room, staring at him. "It bothers you, doesn't it?"  
"What does?" He busied himself with straightening papers.  
"When he calls you nerd guy. Its some masculine thing, isn't it, where you have to look tough."  
"Look tough?" He laughed, but even to him it sounded strange. "Princess, have I ever seemed tough to you? Have I ever seemed like I was able to protect you when we go on these undercover missions? Believe me, this isn't about being tough. I forgot about that a long time ago."  
"Well, what is it about?" She looked confused, and more than a little scared, and he realized he might have been shouting at her.  
"Why are you here?" Yep, definitely shouting, but Jesus, did they have to have this conversation?  
"Because you're upset. And we're friends. And friends make sure that other friends are okay, right?" She took a step closer, and he hated that word, friends.  
"Friends? Is that what we are?" There was a nasty edge to his voice, and he wanted to stop, but he couldn't, because at least this would end on his own terms. "I don't think so. All this is, is you getting into that fish tank, and me making sure you make it out."  
"Cameron." She drew back like he had slapped her, and in a way, maybe he had. "What are you doing?"  
"How would you know if we're friends, anyways? Have you ever had a friend before?"   
She took a step back, and this time he knew he had hurt her. Cameron wasn't sure that she was able to get hurt, but thanks to his stupid stitching program, now she was. And he just landed a very large blow. "Clearly not. But I thought I did."  
The door slammed shut behind her, leaving him alone in the dark, and he felt worse than he did before.

 

The next morning when he got into the lab, first one like always, Kirsten was at his desk waiting for him. "Camille explained something to me last night." He opened his mouth to speak, but was so dumb founded by the fact she was actually willing to talk to him, he couldn't say a word. "She said the nerd thing was probably a touchy subject. She said you might have gotten made fun of a lot in high school because you were smart, and you were insecure about it, and I'm starting to understand the whole insecurity thing. But that didn't give you the right to yell at me when I was just trying to be a friend. Because I think that's what we were."  
He winced at the past tense. "Unfortunately for you, forgiveness is not my strong suit. But I just want you to know that I never paid attention to the whole order of things in high school. I think it's cool, what you do here, and you needed to be good at computers and brain stuff to make it happen. I think you're tough, or able to protect me, or whatever your problem is. I trust you to get me out of those stitches." She squinted at him, looking him up and down. "And if I saw you on the street I wouldn't think you were a nerd. I would think you were a cute guy that would be going home to his girlfriend or out with his friends, because that's what you looked like."  
"I'm still just a nerd. I'm not a tough guy." He had realized it a long time ago, that maybe it wasn't safe for them to be together. He couldn't protect her. In his life, he'd only been on the receiving end of punches. If they got in trouble, how would he be able to help her? "Maybe you should just go with the detective from now on."  
He couldn't read her expression. She nodded, once, and turned away from him. "Maybe you're right."

 

Even though it was his suggestion, his heart still sank when the detective was the one preparing to go undercover with her. Just his luck, they were pretending to be a couple this time. Why wasn't this the time when they almost get blown up by a bomb? "You ready babe?" The detective put an arm around her, laughing when she yanked away from him, instantly placing his hand on her again. As they began to leave, he looked over his shoulder at Cameron. "Have fun with the computers, nerd man."   
"Wait." Kirsten moved away from the detective again, looking angry. (It was still weird to see emotions on her face.) "No. I'm not going with you."  
"What?" Cameron didn't understand until Kirsten was pulling on his arm, and the detective was glaring at him. "You're choosing him over me? Can he even throw a punch?"  
"I'd trust a nerd over a Neanderthal any day." Kirsten shoved past him, dragging Cameron behind her. He seemed unable to stop grinning. "And his name's Cameron, asshole."  
The detective didn't call him nerd man again, but even if he did, Cameron didn't think he would mind.


End file.
